Work Starts On Center For Youth

MIRAMAR — City Commissioner Vicki Coceano`s dream of a new youth center was realized last week when she helped break ground for the new $133,000 building.

City commissioners, civic leaders and Mayor Frank Branca all took turns turning earth with a ceremonial gold shovel.

Coceano said she never expected to see the building built when she suggested the idea three years ago. But an ambitious fund-raising drive collected $91,000, more than two-thirds of the construction cost, she said.

The first donation of $20,000 came in August 1982 from sheik Mohammad al- Fassi, she said, with the rest coming from other contributions and a paper recycling drive.

``I wrote to the sheik to ask him if he would like to help make my dream come true,`` Coceano said. ``And three weeks later, an aide called me and said he would donate $20,000 to the city for the youth center.``

Local businesses and citizens donated the remainder, she said, with one private donation of $25,000. One group picked up another $1,500 by going door- to-door collecting newspapers for recycling, said City Clerk Joseph Tagg.

The center is south of Forzano Park now at 1700 Douglas Road but will be part of the park when the expansion project is finished. The new area will include a children`s playground and basketball and paddleball courts.

The new center will be joined to an existing building - a former sales office that Miramar developer Herbert Heftler donated to the city.

When complete the two buildings will have about 5,000 square-feet of space.

Approximately another $100,000 will be spent to improve and expand Forzano Park, Tagg said.

The building is expected to be completed by September, Leisure Services Department Director Marge Hurley said, and will contain public meeting rooms for meetings, classes, exercise programs and movies.